Grindings collector



July 23, 1963 R. N. SUTTON GRINDINGS COLLECTOR Filed Oct. 5, 1960 3,098,332 GRINDINGS COLLECTOR Roy N. Sutton, Kirkwood, Mo., assignor to Sutton Shoe Machinery Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Oct. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 60,600 2 Claims. (Cl. 51-270) This invention relates to the prevention of contamination in the atmosphere about a dust generating apparatus as exemplified by a shoe finishing machine having abrasive belts and/ or drums.

The generation of a copious and disagreeable quantity of dust is a common attribute of all grinding, and many polishing operations which are used in connection with many arts. The dust generated contaminates the atmosphere about the dust source, and is not only disagreeable to all persons who may be in the environs thereof, but, under some conditions, is hazardous to the health and welfare of operatives and others who may be exposed to it. It is commonplace to provide a suction apparatus having an intake adjacent the source of dust generation, and discharging into a suitable dust collector, such as filter bags, which pass the air but entrap the dust. Because a substantial surface of the dust generator must of necessity be freely accessible for engagement with a shoe or other object being operated upon by it, it is impossible to provide duct work for the suction system which so completely embraces the source of dust generation that no dust can escape the air-stream normally drawn in by the suction apparatus. Hence, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the escape of such dust or dust-laden air into the surrounding atmosphere.

In the grinding and polishing of substances such as rubber and rubber-like materials, which tend to become fluid, semi-fiuid, or plastic under the heat generated by abrasion in a grinding operation, a further difliculty is encountered in that the dust generated from grinding such materials tends to stick to the first metallic surface with which it impinges in flight, and succeeding particles are piled deeper and deeper thereon until the intake parts of a suction apparatus may become clogged with such materials; and it is often extremely difficult to remove them.-

Consequently, a further object of the invention is to provide a device for minimizing such accumulations upon the intake parts of a suction apparatus.

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention as applied to a conventional shoe finishing machine. The several drawings are described as follows:

FIGURE 1 is a view in front elevation of a conventional type of shoe finishing machine having a variety of abrasive elements and a suction system for collecting dust, and which is modified to embody the present invention;

:FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1, and showing, in broken lines, a shoe in operating engagement with one abrasive element;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 1, and showing, in broken lines, a shoe in operational engagement with another abrasive element of the machine; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 2.

The present invention is predicated upon the discovery that if a forced stream of fluid, such as air, even air laden with dust, is directed athwart the stream of dust emanating from a dust generator, but nonetheless toward the blower or other suction-inducing device in the suction nited States Patent ice system, the tendency of dust-laden air to escape the suction system is remarkably reduced. Similarly, if such stream of fluid be projected across, and substantially parallel with, a metallic surface located in the trajectory of the stream of particles emanating from a dust generator, the tendency thereof (if the material be such as to have been rendered fluid, semi-fluid, or plastic by the heat of the dust generating operation) to accumulate in a mass on such surface is practically eliminated.

Referring now to the drawings, the shoe finishing machine shown in FIGURE 1 is provided with a suitable means (not shown) for driving a shaft 1 in rotation. The drive force may be imparted to shaft 1 through a belt 2 engaging a pulley 3, the latter being secured to the shaft 1 and rotating about the axis thereof. Mounted upon shaft 1 is a drum sander 4, two belt sanders 5, and burnishing devices 6 and 7. Of the several finishing tools operated by shaft 1, the drum sander 4 and the belt sanders 5 typify dust generating devices. In accordance with the usual practice, there is provided, in proximity to the operational areas of drum sander 4 and belt sanders 5, a duct work lea-ding to a blower, such as 8, driven by a suitable motor, such as 9. In the form shown in the drawings, the duct work consists of a duct 10 connected to the intake or low pressure side of blower 8, and extending therefrom in branches to intake mouths 11, 12, 13 and 13' located, respectively, adjacent the path of the dust streams emanating from the belt sanders 5, 5 and drum sander 4. In the form shown, the mouths 11, 12 and 13 are confined on the lower side thereof by a lip plate 14, which extends continuously across the three mouths at the lower level thereof and lies athwart the paths of the dust streams emanating from the several dust generators. The respective mouths 11, 12 and 13 may, if desired, be provided with closure members, such as that shown in FIGURE 4 for the mouth 13, and which consists of a vertically slidable plate 15 having an operating knob 16, whereby the plate 15 may be raised or lowered to vary the opening between the lower edge of plate 15 and the surface of lip 14. From the exhaust or high pressure side of blower 8, a duct 17 extends to a suitable dust collecting device, such as a filter bag 18, located in any appropriate position. The construction thus far described is typical of dust generating machinery of the type to which the present invention is applicable, and is referred to herein merely as an illustration of the background for the invention.

The present invention as applied to the machine shown in FIGURE 1 involves, essentially, the projection of a jet of fluid, such as air, across the upper surface of lip 14 from the outer edge thereof toward the duct work 10. This is accomplished, in the form illustrated, by tapping the exhaust duct 17 with an auxiliary duct 19 so as to bleed off about thirty percent of the high pressure (dustladen) air being discharged by blower 8 through duct 17. The portion of the high pressure air thus bled off from duct 17 is conducted to a manifold 20 having a discharge port 21 located at the front of lip 14. The parts surrounding port 21 are so contoured as to direct the stream of fluid emanating therefrom across the surface of lip 14. In the form shown in the drawings, a manifold 20 extends from end to end of lip 14, and port 21 is uninterrupted from one end thereof to the other, but it will be understood that either the manifold or the port, or both, can be divided into sections or otherwise interrupted lengthwise.

In the operation of the device, the dust stream emanating from drum sander 4, when a shoe part (shown in broken line) is pressed thereagainst during operation, is projected in the general direction toward lip 14, but, depending upon the precise position and orientation of the shoe part at any given increment of time, the direction and spread of the dust stream will vary to a limited extent. The dust stream is sucked into duct Work 10 by blower 8, but as the dust stream is located entirely outside the confines of the duct work, the suction forces sharply diminish as the distance away from the throat of the duct work (as illustrated, for example, by the passageway between the lower edge of gate 15 and the upper surface of lip 14) increases, with the result that prior to the present invention, a considerable quantity of dust escaped the suction system and contaminated the environs. By projecting a jet of air athwart the dust stream and across the surface of lip 14 in the general direction of the entrance to duct work 10, however, the escape of dust from the suction system into the surrounding atmosphere is reduced to the point of practical elimination. The projection of the jet of fluid, whether dust laden or not, across the surface of lip 14 has an additional salutary effect of practically eliminating the tendency of particles of material, such as rubber, to build up an adherent deposit upon the surface of lip 14. This tendency of grindings or dust particles from material such as rubber and the like (which, as a result of the abrasive action, becomes fluid or semi-fluid) to build up an adherent deposit upon surfaces which may intercept their trajectory has heretofore required much tedium and labor for removal in order to avoid obstruction of the entrance into the suction system. However, the projection of the jet stream across the surface of lip 14, as contemplated by the present invention, substantially eliminates the problem.

From the foregoing description, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention accomplishes its objects, and, in a simple and effective manner, overcomes the disagreeable contamination of the atmosphere about dust generating devices which has heretofore been experienced. 1

While the invention has been illustrated in the drawings and described with respect to its application to a shoe finishing machine, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to such machines, but that the illustration thereof is merely to typify a dust generating device to which the invention is applicable. While one complete embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it is to be distinctly understood that many modifications and variations of the structure illustrated may be made without departing from the principle or scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for grinding, buffing and the like, having a dust generating device Whose periphery is exposed at and moving downward through an arcuate operating zone adjacent a horizontal plane through the axis of said arcuate zone so that dust generated at said zone is cast centrifugally downward as a stream, said dust generating device being free of auxiliary means which produce a downwardly directed jet of air athwart said horizontal plane, a suction system having its intake mouth located adjacent the path of said dust stream and substantially below said horizontal plane, a fluid jet emission device having a constricted mouth located substantially below said horizontal plane and disposed to direct a jet of fluid through said dust stream and toward said mouth, and means for forcing fluid through said emission device.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said intake month has a surface extending substantially parallel with said horizontal plane, and wherein said fluid jet emission device is arranged to direct its jet of fluid in sweeping relationship across said surface and into said suction system.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,384,414 Antrim Sept. 4, 1945 2,501,287 Muller Mar. 21, 1950 2,683,958 Schneible July 20, 1954 2,763,972 White Sept. 25, 1956 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR GRINDING, BUFFING AND THE LIKE, HAVING A DUST GENERATING DEVICE WHOSE PERIPHERY IS EXPOSED AT AND MOVING DOWNWARD THROUGH AN ARCUATE OPERATING ZONE ADJACENT A HORIZONTAL PLANE THROUGH THE AXIS OF SAID ARCUATE ZONE SO THAT DUST GENERATED AT SAID ZONE IS CAST CENTRIFUGALLY DOWNWARD AS A STREAM, SAID DUST GENERATING DEVICE BEING FREE OF AUXILIARY MEANS WHICH PRODUCE A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED JET OF AIR ATHWART SAID HORIZONTAL PLANE, A SUCTION SYSTEM HAVING ITS INTAKE MOUTH LOCATED ADJACENT THE PATH OF SAID DUST STREAM AND SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID HORIZONTAL PLANE, A FLUID JET EMISSION DEVICE HAVING A CONSTRICTED MOUTH LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID HORIZONTAL PLANE AND DISPOSED TO DIRECT A JET OF FLUID THROUGH SAID DUST STREAM AND TOWARD SAID MOUTH, AND MEANS FOR FORCING FLUID THROUGH SAID EMISSION DEVICE. 